Developmental Psych Outline
Developmental Psych Chapter 4: Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
* Changes in Body Proportions * Cephalocaudal trend: “head to tail” – during prenatal period, the head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body. * Proximodistal trend: growth proceeds, literally, from “near to far” – from the center of the body outward. In the prenatal period, the head, chest, and trunk grow first, then the arms and legs, and finally the hands and feet. * Brain Development * Development of Neurons (nerve cells that store and transmit information) * Synapses: between neurons, are tiny gaps where fibers from different neurons come close together but do not touch. * Neurotransmitters: neurons send messages to one another by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters, which cross the synapse. * In the prenatal period, neurons are produced in the embryo’s primitive neural tube. Then they migrate to from the major parts of the brain. Once neurons are in place, they differentiate and establish their unique functions by extending their fibers to form synaptic connections w/in neighboring cells. * Synaptic Pruning: returns neurons not needed at the moment to an uncommitted state so they can support future development. Neurons that are seldom stimulated soon lose their synapses. * Glial cells: consists about half the brain’s volume and are responsible for myelination. * Myelination: coating of neural fibers with an insulating fatty sheath (called myelin) that improves the efficiency of message transfer. * Neurophysiological Methods * Electroencaphalogram (EEG): electrodes, usually embedded in a head cap, are attached to the scalp with conductive gel to record electrical brain-wave activity in the brain’s outer layers - the cerebral cortex. * Event-related potentials (ERPs): using EEG, the frequency and aplitude of brain waves in response to
* Changes in Body Proportions * Cephalocaudal trend: “head to tail” – during prenatal period, the head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body. * Proximodistal trend: growth proceeds, literally, from “near to far” – from the center of the body outward. In the prenatal period, the head, chest, and trunk grow first, then the arms and legs, and finally the hands and feet. * Brain Development * Development of Neurons (nerve cells that store and transmit information) * Synapses: between neurons, are tiny gaps where fibers from different neurons come close together but do not touch. * Neurotransmitters: neurons send messages to one another by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters, which cross the synapse. * In the prenatal period, neurons are produced in the embryo’s primitive neural tube. Then they migrate to from the major parts of the brain. Once neurons are in place, they differentiate and establish their unique functions by extending their fibers to form synaptic connections w/in neighboring cells. * Synaptic Pruning: returns neurons not needed at the moment to an uncommitted state so they can support future development. Neurons that are seldom stimulated soon lose their synapses. * Glial cells: consists about half the brain’s volume and are responsible for myelination. * Myelination: coating of neural fibers with an insulating fatty sheath (called myelin) that improves the efficiency of message transfer. * Neurophysiological Methods * Electroencaphalogram (EEG): electrodes, usually embedded in a head cap, are attached to the scalp with conductive gel to record electrical brain-wave activity in the brain’s outer layers - the cerebral cortex. * Event-related potentials (ERPs): using EEG, the frequency and aplitude of brain waves in response to